1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a horizontal strip accumulator for metal strip, in particular, steel strip, comprising a looper car, which can be moved along a travel path, and at least one swivel gate, which is moved by the looper car from a starting position to an end position when the looper car is moved, wherein the looper car, when moving the swivel gate, acts on an actuating element which is connected with the swivel gate by means of a four-gear mechanism with two swivels, wherein the swivel gate is rotatably arranged on one and the actuating element is rotatably arranged on the other of the swivels.
2. Description of the Related Art
In horizontal strip accumulators, the stored strip must be supported in order to prevent too much sagging of, the strip. Two systems are known for this purpose. In one system follower cars are used which follow behind the looper car and thus provide strip support with uniform spacing. In the other system, swivel gates are fastened on the sides of the strip accumulator at uniform spacing. The swivel gates are opened for passage of the looper car. The present invention relates to the system with the swivel gates.
Horizontal strip accumulators for metal strip have been used in the past in rolling mills. Here, the actuating element was in the form of a vehicle tire which was entrained by the looper car with frictional connection. The construction of this horizontal strip accumulator was relatively simple. However, as a result of the frictional connection of looper car and actuating element, the adjustment of the actuating element was very critical. Moreover, the actuating element was very wear-prone and also comparatively unreliable as a result of the dependency of the frictional connection on the tire pressure.
The object of the present invention resides in that a horizontal strip accumulator for metal strip is to be provided which operates considerably more reliably while maintaining the simple constructive configuration.
The object is solved in that the looper car upon movement of the swivel gate engages positive-lockingly the actuating element. By doing so, a forced guiding of the actuating element is effected so that disturbances by a faulty frictional connection can no longer occur. Also, the adjustment of the actuating element relative to the travel path of the looper car is significantly less critical.
When the swivel gate has a holding element, by which the swivel gate is reliably secured in the starting position as well as in the end position, a separate locking mechanism for the swivel gate is obsolete. The holding element can alternatively be embodied, for example, as a spring or as a weight.
When the actuating element has spoke-shaped projections having a projecting thickness and being spaced from one another by a spoke distance and the looper car engages with counter projections the space between the spoke-shaped projections, the constructive configuration of the actuating element of the looper car is especially simple.
When the counter projections are embodied to be roll-like, an especially wear-reduced and friction-reduced contact of the counter projections with the projections is realized. Also, in this case the swivel gate is entrained especially smoothly by the looper car.
When neighboring counter projections are spaced from one another alternatingly by a large and small spacing, an especially minimal play of the actuating element and thus of the swivel gate results when the looper car changes its direction of movement during actuation.
The play of the swivel gate/the actuating element is practically zero when the small spacing corresponds such with the projecting thickness that one of the spoke-shaped projections can be introduced between the neighboring counter projections, which are spaced from one another by the small spacing, and the sum of the large and small spacings is at least approximately identical to the spoke distance.